Brisbane weekend trip destinations?

[nightmode]

It's been ages since flying anywhere for fun with the family.

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations on places to go from Brisbane for a weekend trip?

Any ideas on places to check out would be much appreciated! :ok:

[Pastor of Muppets]

Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Alice Springs, Gove, Hobart, Launceston, Devonport,Geelong, Ceduna, Dubbo, Tamworth, Parkes, Camden, Woolongong, Mallacoota, Merimbula, Goondiwindi, Wagga Wagga, Albury..................................................Coff s Harbour, Port Macquarie, Phillip Island.................. Kangaroo Island, Rottnest Island, Broome, Port Hedland, Newman, Karratha............................. Derby, Esperance, Albany, Forrest, Bourke, White Cliffs, Broken Hill, Mildura, Swan Hill, Ballarat, Bendigo, Gilgandra................................................... . Canberra, Strahan, Orange, Richmond...................... Geraldton, Port Keats, Groote Eyelandt, Borroloola, Christmas Island, Cocos Island.......

[Pastor of Muppets]

Warrnambool, Mt Gambier, Wilcannia, Wangaratta, Shepparton, Armidale............... Echuca, Newcastle, Casino, Taree, Inverell, Scone, Bathurst, Cowra, Elcho Island, Maningrida, Halls Creek, Oenpelli, Ngkurr, Katherine..............................Bunbury, Bussleton........Kalgoorlie, Singleton, Maitland, Mt Hotham, St Helens....................................Wynyard,

[Band a Lot]

The pastor can marry you in LA, or wake up to your question. This time year try Atherton area.. (less wa**kers) than pastors.

[Duck Pilot]

Sad to see the "TALL POPY SYNDROME" has been displayed on this thread. The pilot simply asked a reasonable question and you responded in such a rude manner Pastor....

[nightmode]

Thanks for the ideas!, esp. Pastor for taking the time for a detailed reply :)
Is there anything in particular with the recommendations that you like??

I probably should have qualified a bit more on what I was hoping for:

Take 2 with more specific info:

Up to around 300nm or so from Brisbane, give or take would be ideal.
Wife + 2 primary school kids.
Runway 600m-700m minimum, paved, grass or gravel is OK.

Initial thoughts:
Hervey Bay - maybe a fishing charter during the day?, not sure on accommodation/other attractions yet?
1770? - not sure what's around town, early googling days still.
Tyagarah - Byron bay? - not sure if taken over by tourists - haven't been there for decades.

Just hoping on hearing about experiences both good and bad that may help in deciding on some nice destinations!

[gerry111]

In all fairness, the OP didn't specify the aircraft that he intended to fly with his family.

'Band a Lot' may have further confused the issue with his: "(less wa**kers)" contribution. :confused:

(Someone here may hopefully point out the correct usage of 'less' versus 'fewer'?)

And 'Duck Pilot': "TALL POPY SYNDROME" sounds to me excessively Catholic..

[Duck Pilot]

God bless you gerry!!!!

[gerry111]

nightmode, Why not venture a little bit further? How about Thargomindah?:D

[gerry111]

Duck Pilot. :D

[Pastor of Muppets]

Nightmode,
Coffs Harbour. Scenic flying, plenty of accom and attractions. Kids may enjoy dolphin and butterfly parks.
Hope this is a little more helpful.

[Fris B. Fairing]

nightmode

The Queensland Air Museum is at Caloundra. Just 100km north of Brisbane by road or you can fly in.

Queensland Air Museum (http://www.qam.com.au)

[Jabawocky]

Nighty....long time no speak/see. :ok: Give me a call. I can think of some ideas.

Most things you fly are either very fast and burn lots of fuel or very slow, and burn lots of fuel, so I am keen to hear what you have at hand. ;)

One suggestion I would offer up is a trip to Charleville, book in for the Bilby's one night and the observatory the other (they are on alternate nights).

You run a good chance of catching up with 185Skywagon and Beach King too :ok: I am pretty sure you have met them before.

All the best.

DB

[Tinstaafl]

How about Fraser Island? Orchid Beach Resort has (had?) an airstrip. It was grass-on-sand when I used it years ago.

[Possum1]

Caloundra - Day trip or overnight. RWYS 05/23 and 12/30, both bitumen and both 795m.

Mrs Possum and I do a day trip about twice a year from Archerfield to Caloundra, the last time just on this past Sunday.

We walked 12 km return around the beaches and back down the main street - closed off on Sundays for their markets.

While I certainly am not suggesting that you make primary age children walk that far, Caloundra is a very family-friendly destination with lots of attractions for children(and adults).

Suggestions:

The walking/bike track into town passes immediately behind the old front hangars(Henebery Place). At the edge of the old town centre, turn off Bulcock St into Tay Ave for the start of the popular Boardwalk to a possible swim in quiet waters here at Bulcock Beach or around the headland to the surf beach, Kings Beach. Both beaches have change sheds with showers and toilets - Kings has two, one to the south and the other to the north by the SLSC and a free salt-water swimming pool. Plenty of places to eat and buy ice-creams for the children.

You can start with the Queensland Aviation Museum as suggested but you can see a lot of their aircraft through the front fence if you don't want to go in straight away.

Try a breakfast at a quiet, near deserted Hungry Jack's, 500m west from the airport or walk 1.4km towards town to the busier MacDonalds via the bikeway/walkway(through the sewerage farm! and past the soccer fields). For a proper sit down breakfast, try the Golden Beach Tavern across the road from the Maccas(Sat/Sun only).

After the billy-lids' swim then maybe back to town - try Subway or Montezuma's Mexican for lunch or fish and chips etc. at either beach.

There is a huge selection of beach front unit accommodation if staying the night.

When you taxi in at Caloundra, park your aircraft at the visitor parking, NE end by the brick toilet block. Don't let the local meat-bombers push you around here - they often have witches hats out, appropriating a park for themselves. I normally park either side of these or if things are really crowded, I park on the end of the tied down aircraft row in front of you.

The gate code(by the toilet block and visitor aircraft parking) is still the old CTAF frequency, not the new one that Caboolture and Caloundra changed to recently, so find this out before you go.

For a scenic route while the passengers are fresh, track via Lake Kurwongba and the old Lakeside Int. Raceway, then to the west of Caboolture, around Mt Beerwah(the largest of the Glasshouse Mtns), then direct to Caloundra over the top of Australia Zoo(Crocodile Hunter, Bindi Irwin etc.).

The above will all make much more sense with Google Earth or Maps.

[Fris B. Fairing]

You can start with the Queensland Air Museum as suggested but you can see a lot of their aircraft through the front fence if you don't want to go in straight away.

But as the museum is run entirely by volunteers and as you are upstanding civic minded citizens you will want to pay the modest admission to see the F-111 and the recently arrived Mirage :)

[Possum1]

Have a heart, Fris!

1. Nightmode has a wife and young children with him. They have just arrived in Caloundra early one morning. Does he take the maybe 6-11 year-olds up the road to Hungry's for a breakfast first or does he inflict your museum on them first? They have got to walk past your museum again on the way into town anyway. They can see it then if they want to.

2. This may be a hard sell to very young children and a wife who might be interested: A trip to the beach, Hungry Jacks/Maccas/ice cream or see a lot of old planes.

On the other hand, 10-12 year old boys(or girls) would probably be very interested in seeing the planes, especially the F-111 and the Mirage.

3. For younger children, they have a longish walk in front of them up to the boardwalk and the beaches without adding an extra hour or two on their feet wandering around the exhibits in the Queensland Air Museum.

For ourselves, we have visited your fine museum two or three times over the years, but we can't go visiting every single time we are in town.

[Aussie Bob]

A trip to the beach, Hungry Jacks/Maccas/ice cream or see a lot of old planes.

Pack a bit of lunch and see the planes. How anyone could feed the above junk to kids is beyond me.

[Possum1]

Pack a bit of lunch and see the planes. How anyone could feed the above junk to kids is beyond me.

Don't be so boring, Aussie Bob. The children would have a pack lunch every day at school. Why not give them a treat if they are good on the weekend? Plus they will work off all the junk food during the walk and their swim.

As I have said, the planes would be dependent on the age and interest of the children(and wife). Remember, aircraft-nut Dad is not the only person on this trip.

By all means visit the QAM, but feed the kids their breakfast first!